By Adam M. Finkel, Sc.D. For many of the federal agencies that promulgate and enforce regulations to protect public health, safety, and the environment, the era of “big government” never even began. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a prime example: the agency employs about 2,000 inspectors, who are collectively able to…
By Marizen Ramirez, PhD, MPH Bullying is the most frequent form of peer victimization in schools, impacting about 10-25% of all children across the United States. The effects of bullying on children have been well-documented, from psychological and physical harm, poor academic performance, alcohol and drug use, and violent behaviors. In its most extreme form,…
By Dr. Yanna Lambrinidou and Dr. Marc Edwards It is generally safe to assume that, when it comes to contaminants in drinking water, consumers are protected by regulation and proactive water utilities. One noteworthy exception is the federal law promulgated to protect the public from lead at the tap. Known as the Lead and Copper…
By Scott Burris We may be living in a golden age of group-think. A weekly reminder is poor Paul Krugman railing against the apparently universal belief in America and Europe that we’ve got to cut budgets right now or disaster will strike. He calls this a Zombie idea, a false claim that has been falsified…
By Scott Burris Public Health Law Research funded Dr. Caleb Banta-Green to evaluate the implementation and initial effects of a Washington State “Good Samaritan 911” law meant to encourage people witnessing a drug overdose to call for help. The research results are getting out in the usual way, but it was great to see Dr….
By Scott Burris I read the Times daily, and so naturally would like to be able to think it deserves to be regarded as a credible “newspaper of record.” Today the paper outdid itself to disappoint, in a story by Sam Dolnick headlined “Pennsylvania Study Finds Halfway Houses Don’t Reduce Recidivism.” In the cause of…
By Scott Burris People arguing that our federal government spends “too much” sound more and more like cynics by Oscar Wilde’s famous definition: knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. I’m neither for big government nor small government. I’d like government that does important things effectively and efficiently. One very effective and…
By Temple University Center for Public Health Law Research According to officials, the worst of this year’s devastating flu season should be over in most parts of the country. But in early January, the flu had hit 47 of 50 states. According to the CDC, a total of 78 influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported….
By Scott Burris I am going to take a slight detour from health law to talk about legal education. This week the Times was all over a story about the need to drastically reform law school right now, and in the classic panic mode, one particular model was being embraced with the same unmixed faith…
By Temple University Center for Public Health Law Research Typically, we would avoid such a shameless plug for our researchers — we’d be a little more subtle. But, we can’t help it this time. This book is the best $10 you’ll spend all year. A little less than a month ago, Johns Hopkins University convened…
